


Golden Reign

by kaladinsnow82



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2019-10-09 11:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17406059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaladinsnow82/pseuds/kaladinsnow82
Summary: KAGEHINA AUHinata is falling. Every morning feels like the last one. Every day gets harder to bear. But what is there to do? Kgeyama struggles every day. To learn. Learn, learn and learn again. It is the only way to become Lord Commander of the Silver Army. Kagehina AU where Hinata is the eldest son of the King and Kageyama is the younger brother of the most experienced soldier in the Army.





	1. Hinata

Hinata slapped his cheeks with his hands at the same time as hard as he dared to and looked in the mirror. The feeling in his chest was hard to handle, but the fact that he had to go outside was even more difficult to bare. He inhaled deeply, slowly while closing his eyes. He was feeling sick. He didn't worry about that. The feeling always came and went whenever it pleased. He was used to it. So used to it. There were other things to worry about. Today he wasn't good. He wasn't ok. He was able to feel the darkness picking at the corners of his mind. Hinata tried to push it away, but the feeling just tangled itself in his thoughts even more. His head was boiling.

He rushed to the window and opened it with such force that it scared the crows in the tree nearby away. Fresh morning air rushed in, filling the room with cold, humid air. Hinata's lungs couldn't keep up with him anymore. He gripped the edges of the window as he leaned out. Tears started pooling in his eyes, blurring his vision. He gasped for air. Panic filled him. The world was crumbling on his frail body. A pit started forming in his stomach. Half of his body was in the room while the other half was hanging outside. He just wanted to fall. Fall into nothingness. Fall and fall until nothing existed anymore. He was scared. Terrified.

Someone grabbed him by the clothes and took him away from the window.

Hinata stumbled and fell to the floor like a sack of rocks. The person in front of him put his hands on Hinata's shoulders, gripping him hard.

"Hey! Take it easy! Try to calm down, ok? Count with me. 1...2...3..."

The voice was cold and distant. It felt like Hinata was underwater. Still, he held on to it. He lifted his eyes and his vision landed on the person kneeling in front of him. Hinata started pulling himself back together. Now all the despair was washed away for a few moments by the surprise.

"Focus!" the voice said harshly.

Hinata blinked twice and all the tears cleared from his eyes. He was able to see a pair of dark blue ones. The eyes of Kageyama Tobio. 


	2. Kageyama

Kageyama was tired. He had stayed up all night reading and taking notes which he later put all over his walls. Things he considered important. Of course he wrote a summary in his notebook. He could always go back to the books and look up the information if need be, but he enjoyed the feeling of scraping on paper. He liked putting the information down on paper. It helped him learn and understand better everything that he read. He loved to open the leather covers, to feel the smell of it, to go through his notes again and again. It represented him. It made him Kageyama. 

And it was the only thing that helped him at that moment. He was so utterly bored that the exhaustion was getting the better of him. Everyone was listening to Walder Starkov enumerate a list of things that the medical area of the kingdom was severely missing in most of the poor settlements. It was the third time in a month the damned list was read in the Council Room. And Kageyama couldn't bare to hear it again. Instead, he was trying to recall the 3 rules of warfare from  _The Strategy of War_ which he had just finished a few hours ago. The truth was it was kind of difficult to appear interested in the things that were discussed at the meeting with only 2 hours of sleep while trying to recall information that didn't even have time to properly settle in his brain. He was exhausted. Kageyama felt his eyes start watering and he closed them just for a couple of seconds. When he reopened them his glance landed on Hinata Shoyo. And he was starring right back at him. Kageyama raised an eyebrow. It didn't matter how tired he was, he would never back down from a starring contest. For far longer than he originally expected, Kageyama's view was grasped by golden-brown eyes. After what felt like an hour Hinata finally moved his eyes to something behind Kageyama.  _Nice try_ thought Kageyama. It was typical. Everyone did that. Still, he felt weary. But he had only slept 2 hours. Of course he was weary. Hinata wasn't the source of his discomfort. 

The lack of sleep had definitely become a problem.

Suddenly everyone got up from their seats and started scattering away. Kageyama blinked with confusion. When did two hours pass so fast? He barely got to form a few coherent thoughts. And stare a little at the crows in the tree outside. Maybe more than just a little. He got up from his own chair and looked around the room for his bigger brother. Sugawara was nowhere to be found.  _That's what happens when I come in late_ he thought. There would be no places near his brother. He had to seat wherever there was an empty chair. At least like that he got to sea the Council Room from all angles possible. Maybe it would come handy someday.

He started making his way towards the door when a guard entered his visual field. Kageyama stopped abruptly and looked at the man. He was taller than Kageyama, but not  by much, though the rest of his body was larger in every way. Bigger muscles, bigger jaw, bigger mouth, bigger shoulder frame. Bigger everything. 

Kageyama raised both of his eyebrows at the guard and waited for him to speak.

"King Hinata wants to see you" the man said.

Kageyama's eyebrows fell at the statement. What in damnation could he want from him? Never in his life has Kageyama spoken directly to The King. The only moments when he got to be near him were the Council Meetings, or at least those he bothered to attend, and  the rare opportunities  when he had to follow his brother for one reason or another and The King would discuss tactics with Sugawara. He had no direct obligations to His Majesty. 

"Why?" asked Kageyama prudently.

"You are to find out when you will see His Majesty." the guard responded.

He didn't have a choice. He took a deep breath. But that wasn't enough. The situation was strange. He truly hoped that The King had something to say related to his work. That he would give him the chance to prove himself. But the truly strange thing would be if The King even had any idea about Kageyama's intentions. The only possibility for him to find out that Kageyama wanted to become Lord Commander of the Silver Army was if Sugawara had told him. And it seemed more likely for the 10 Gods to get down from their thrones and visit him than Sugawara speaking good of his brother, especially to The King. 

The guard started moving, so Kageyama followed him, daydreaming of the impossible.


	3. Hinata

As  soon as his father gave the word, Hinata was the first one to jump from his chair and leave the Council Room. He tried to contain himself, but after he passed  the big wooden doors he started running for the back exit of the south wing , heading towards the sables. He already missed Rakasa even though he had last seen her only a day before. He loved her. She was probably the creature which he cared for the most in that twisted world. 

He passed servant after servant, each and everyone one of them bowing at his sight. Hinata payed no attention to them. It has been like this for his entire life. If there ever has been a moment when he felt awkward about all the attention he was getting he couldn't remember it. He had simply learned how to ignore the unimportant people. That included everyone except for his sister and his father when there was no other choice. 

After he finally passed the crowded area he entered the small forest that was separating the stables from the castle. There was a cobblestone alley that was so muddy and stepped on that it was barely visible. It's purpose was to prevent people from getting lost, but Hinata didn't need it. He was able to reach the stables with his eyes closed. He had actually tried it on multiple occasions when he was running away from his tutor or was simply bored. Most of the times he would end up running into a tree, he even pocked his left eye in a branch once, but in the end he was able to go through the forest both ways without opening his eyes. He was proud of that.

When he caught sight of the stables he started running once more. It was late morning so the place was quiet. The only sounds were the heavy breaths of the gigantic animals and their occasional neighing. The wind was furiously making it's way through the cracks, whistling between the horse's legs. It was peaceful. The smell of fresh hay and leather was intoxicating. Most people complained about it, said it was gross and it made them sick. Hinata couldn't understand that. He would wear the clothes he had ridden in through the halls of the castle and everyone would crook their noses and turn their heads away, sometimes even tell him to change if they dared. He never listened. He tried not to care about their disapproval.

Hinata made his way to the back of the secondary stable and found his beloved Rakasa sticking her head out of her box. Her mane was all tangled up and full of hay and her face full of dust, not white anymore . He couldn't understand how it was possible for a creature to make such a mess of themselves in less than a day. Hinata smiled at his mare and went for the brushes. There were plenty of people whose jobs were to do just that, but Hinata never allowed it. It didn't matter if he was sick and couldn't ride. He would get out of bed and drag himself to the stables to clean Rakasa. She was more than his responsibility. She was his soulmate. He loved her. Hinata got her out and started brushing her. He started with the tips of her mane and made his way up to the roots, than moved to her sinewy neck. Before he realised he was picking the dirt from her hooves. When he was pleased with his work he got the saddle pad and placed it high on her back, than the saddle over it. He grabbed a rope, a new one beacuse last time's adventure ended up with Hinata leading Rakasa by her mane, got it over her head and lead her to the small ladder outside. Most riders were able to get in the saddle by themselves but Hinata was short. Very short. Yet there was no rider at the court who was able to ride without a halter. He had learned how to ride with one but later realised that a piece of metal would be painful for anyone to have in their mouths while someone was yanking at it, for a horse included. So he decided to find a new way, one which didn't put pressure on the face at all. He was using the rope to put pressure on Rakasa's neck. With his legs pushing and his body weight added he was able to gain full trust and control of his partner. 

He grabbed the neckrope and moved his hips slightly forward. That was enough. Rakasa started walking and Hinata put pressure on his knees in order for her to go faster. When he couldn't see the barn anymore he pushed her to a slow trot. In no time he was galloping through the woods, jumping over the broken branches laying on the cold ground. It was the beginning of the winter so the trees were naked of their leaves, the wood looking like a cemetery of nature. The air was stinging his face but otherwise he didn't feel the cold. He was so full of exaltation and happiness he thought he could fly. He was riding at the top of the world.

After half an hour he decided it was time for a break. He found a clearing and got off Rakasa's back and went to find a lower branch on which he could put her saddle on. He liked to let his mare relax a bit and let the air dry her slightly wet back before continuing his ride. Now the only thing she was wearing was the neckrope. Hinata wasn't afraid she would run off. She never did that except for one occassion when she had got scared by a deer running past them. Hinata had had a though time getting back to the castle and at his arrival he had found her waiting outside of the stables. He didn't worry. He preferred to risk an hour of walking in order for his mare to be completely free for at least 30 minutes a day.

Hinata sat down, his back supported by a large trunk, and tried to think of nothing. He stared at the gray sky and took a deep breath once, twice, but inevitably ended up drifting towards negative thoughts. For the millionth time he asked himself what was wrong with him. And came to the same answer. He was wrong. He was broken. Since the beginning he has been broken. He had never had a chance. Hinata remembered a moment from his childhood. His mother was chasing him through the gardens while he was shouting with joy. He had eventually got tired and laid under a tree looking through the leaves hanging from the thick branches. His mother laid near him and rapped him in her arms. He could feel her smiling down at him. Then all of a sudden such sadness and despair hit him he could barely breath anymore. 

Back then the intensity of that feeling had been to much for him. He had ended up with tears streaming down his face, his mother worried, but most of all, she seemed sad. She had taken him to the kitchens and asked the cook to bake a cake filled with all the honey he could find while she told him stories of brave commanders who had taken big risks to save the kingdom and fearless soldiers who had bravely died in battle. Those stories were supposed to be beautiful stories, full of adventure, but all Hinata could feel was more sadness. Now he was able to contain himself. He was able to bottle up all that nothing, all that darkness and go through each day. But there were times when he just couldn't stand, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't bath. In those days he just laid in bed with his curtains shut trying to just hold on. He also had moments when he thought he couldconquer the world, when he would jump around like a child, run all around the castle, talk to people that only a day before he had ignored. Sometimes it felt like he was running towards his death.

Rakasa came to him and pushed her head into his shoulder. Hinata looked up and saw her eager to run, moving her tail and stomping her hooves on the hard ground. He got up and put her saddle back on, then mounted. He left his thoughts behind as he cantered away, but his mood was completely destroyed now that he had allowed himself to relax even for a bit.


	4. Hinata

 

Hinata kept on galloping until he reached the stable but he didn’t get off right away. He kept Rakasa at trot for 10 minutes around the place so her muscles could relax. Then, he got off, stripped her of the garments and took her for a walk before getting her back in her box. He hated that he had to keep her locked. Horses were free spirits, had a wild heart. It was cruel to keep them in a place where they barely had enough space to turn around. Hinata clenched his jaw. He had tried everything that he could think about to let Rakasa roam free on the castle fields. At first he had suggested Atsushi, the stable manager, to build a fence large enough to keep all the horses so that they would have at least a little more freedom. Atsuhi had given him a sad smile and said that he would have to get approval from his father, His Majesty. Hinata lost all hope then. It would take eternity for his father to even look at such a request. And in the opportunity he would actually care enough to look at it he would categorically refuse. Of course, Atsushi suggested Hinata that he would go speak to his father directly. Hinata laughed at that. It was worse Then the original idea. He would risk punishment for such foolish idea. No. He could not do that.

After that he thought about spending more time with Rakasa. It wasn’t the best option, but it was at least better Then nothing. The idea was short lived because Hinata soon realized that it would not take long until his father would send the entire troop searching for him. He couldn’t go missing for  3  hours without having his father search for him.

So now he was absently brushing Rakasa, thinking about what he could do when he heard shouting from the distance. He already knew what it was. He sighed. Sugawara never inspired him as being good for the position of Lord Commander. Hinata glanced outside and managed to see a group of people running, some of them faster, others slower and in front of them all was Sugawara, proof of another bad decision made by his father. Hinata  was the only one to think so. Everyone loved The Lord Commander. He was strong, he had endurance. He was the best with the sword. These were the best traits for a Commander. Or so thought the others. Hinata felt a lump form in his stomach. Their country had been at war since he was born. 19 years. Almost 2 decades of endless deaths and wasted supplies. While The King was feeding and providing the biggest army the world has seen with the biggest amount of food, the best equipment and all the sanitary supplies, the simple people who had no fault or implication in a blind and endless war were starving and dying every day. _And why?_ Because his father had no mercy, no shame and most of all no limit to his greed.  Soon he would rule over an empty country populated only by dead bodies.

Hinata turned back to Rakasa and continued to take the dust out of her white hair as the shouting grew closer and closer. He cursed himself. He was always able to avoid them but not this time, apparently. There was no need to see Sugawara more Then he already did. He could almost say that he hated the bastard but Hinata wasn’t sure why or if his reasons were even valid. Sugawara thought of himself as the best of the best, he was so full of himself that there were days when Hinata couldn’t bare to look at his smug face. And all of this because he had a title. In the long and sinewy history of Karasuno there had been some of the best Commanders the land has seen, that commanded wisely and proved to be some of the biggest minds the country has ever had. That’s the reason why their land was so rich in it’s resources, had so many fields, mountains and rivers, the army remained so big and strong. To be part of the Silver Army was considered an honor.  For a family to have a member of their own enrolled in the army meant glory for years to pass, even long after said member of the family was dead and in the ground. So the title of Lord Commander meant everything. Few titles were higher Then that, among them the one that Hinata had, The High Prince of Karasuno. But even though the title was destined for the best man that there was, being the only title that was given to someone based on their capability and hard work, the rest of them being inherited , Hinata’s father had decided to give it to Sugawara because he needed someone he could control, someone who would agree with him no matter what, someone he could get rid of easily. The King was no fool. He did make stupid and foolish things but it was obvious for Hinata that his father had a clear goal and that he was slowly but surely working towards it. The price that he was willing to pay was already too big and that scared him. And without a capable Lord Commander even the biggest army could be defeated by a good strategy sooner or later. Hinata felt like claws were clenching his heart. Everything felt so wrong…there was no one he could turn to for a glimpse of smile or any kind of advice. He was all alone.

Hinata grabbed all the brushes and left Rakasa after scratching her neck one last time. Then he went outside where people were starting to gather and prepared himself to face the Lord Commander.


	5. Hinata

As he was walking out of the barn to face Sugawara, Hinata tried to push aside all of his thoughts and get a clear mind. Usually it didn’t work. This time was no exception. He knew his facial expression was far from welcoming but now there was nothing more he could do. He had to at least acknowledge his presence and even if he didn’t want to, Sugawara would at least address him as _Your Highness,_ so there was that. Hinata’s fault for dragging for too long in the woods.

He was surrounded by sweaty men, whose breaths were so labored Hinata thought some of them might pass out. _The new ones for sure_. Hinata’s eyes lingered on them and noticed that in each and every one of them he could see fear. He wasn’t surprised. Since his father has declared war against all nations surrounding them and taking them down one by one, the need for new soldiers kept growing at an alarming pace. And because there was no strategy in the way the Silver Army was lead, dozens of soldiers died each time The King decided to sent them into a pointless fight, so what once used to be an honor every family would want had become the main reason people prayed every night to The 10 Gods to not happen. But it was inevitable. There were few families that were left untouched by the cruel blade of The King’s war.

Hinata knew very well that these poor men, most of them no older than him, others older than his father himself, were, in the end, just meat to throw on the battle field so the enemy force would already be tired from butchering a dozen untrained soldiers when the true force reached them. There were few that got out alive.

What Hinata was looking at was a little fraction of the whole army. They were all divided in groups that would train at different hours and in different locations. Like that, his father was trying to get everyone the right amount of physical work. Of course, the portion of the army that lived in the town near the castle represented, again, a little fraction of the whole force. Here were living only the best of the soldiers who were mixed up with the new ones. Like that the inexperienced started their lives as soldiers in the heart of their country, right next to their king, so they would learn what duty for their country and it’s ruler meant.

_A load of crap,_ Hinata told himself exactly when his eyes met the ones of the Commander.  He cursed himself one last time for not hurrying earlier in the woods and prepared for what was coming. He slowed down when Sugawara was close enough and let him approach just like he had to. It was inappropriate for the High Prince to go to someone directly, they had to come to him, like they were puppies. Sugawara finally stopped in front of him and bowed while saying:

“Your Highness”.

“Lord Commander” said Hinata with a blunt voice and a cold gaze.

“I see you went for a ride? The weather isn’t exactly appropriate for that kind of activity, is it?” he said with fake distrust and looked up to the sky like it was the first time he had seen the clouds heavy with snow, which were ready to start covering the castle grounds with snow any minute by now. Hinata didn’t follow his gaze and instead looked at the mark on Sugawara’s right arm, a shield on which was a stag’s head and behind the shield two swords crossed at the middle. The mark was big, covering his entire forearm and it represented the Lord Commander of The Silver Army. Hinata and the whole royal family had a mark too but only the stag’s head was represented. And theirs was smaller too. The Lord Commander, once given the title could only get rid of it through death. He rather died on the battle field with glory and honor or decapitated by The King himself if he tried to do anything that meant treason. Would the Commander try to get rid of the mark on his arm by cutting it with a blade and then try to escape, he would be dead before putting the foot out of the castle. The mark was made with a hot blade and cut so deep that trying to cut it off would end up in bleeding to death. Once you became a Lord Commander you died one. There was no other way.

Sugawara turned his gaze back on Hinata, waiting for an answer.

“My mare, Rakasa, starts to fidget in her box at a certain time and she has to get out of that crumpled place and do her daily exercise” Hinata responded not changing his facial expression. Of course it was a lie. But Sugawara didn’t know that.

“Oh, I see. You must be loving your mare a lot if you are personally doing this every day at the exact same hour” said Sugawara insisting more than needed on the last words.

“Indeed” said Hinata while raising his chin slightly. He was shorter that Sugawara by more than he deemed fair. The man was tall as a mountain, had muscles in every part of the body that permitted them, a mop of grey, light hair and his eyes brown, reminding Hinata of a bear’s fur.

“I almost never get to see your detachment train, I usually don’t linger this much at the stables” continued Hinata.

“I’m glad that you got to see the force that keeps you safe, Your Highness” said Sugawara.

Hinata felt the arrogance in his voice and tried to ignore it as well as he allowed himself to.

“As I am” responded Hinata. He was preparing to say his goodbyes and leave the Commander to see to his training when Sugawara opened his mouth and said:

“I think His Majesty is looking for you,Your Highness.”

“Well I’ve been gone for a long time now” Hinata responded while frowning slightly.

“That’s not the reason, I’m afraid”.

Hinata waited, expecting Sugawara to finish what he had to say but he was obviously trying to get to his nerves by making him ask why would his father be looking for him. It was no secret for the court that The King didn’t consider his son the best heir to the throne and that their relationship was creaky at best.

“Then why would be father looking for me?” Hinata finally gave in and asked. What came next surprised Hinata to the point that he was left with his mouth slightly opened at the Commander.

“I think it might be about my brother, Kageyama Tobio, being your tutor for the next  few months ”.

 

 


End file.
